Pages

August 19, 2008

This, That, And The Other

Another bases-loaded BBI?

In addition to Nap Lajoie, Bill Nicholson, Barry Bonds, and Josh Hamilton, Del Bissonette of the Brooklyn Dodgers (according to SABR data reported by Yahoo's Gordon Edes) was walked intentionally with the bases loaded by John McGraw of the New York Giants on May 2, 1928.

John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times has a bit more info on the five occasions -- all of which worked out for the team issuing the BBI.

Jason Bay was a bit surprised to hear cheers after his two home runs last night at Camden Yards:

They told me when we came here it was going to be that way, but it's something I'm definitely not accustomed to. It's a neat little experience.

Tim Wakefield could be activated on Sunday, but Terry Francona said that is "probably a little aggressive." ... Julio Lugo took batting practice for the first time since straining his left quadriceps on July 11. ... Mike Lowell is rehabbing his strained right oblique in Miami and may rejoin the team in Toronto this weekend.

Portland (AA) 1B Lars Anderson was named Eastern League Player of the Week for August 11-17, after batting .476 (10-for-21) with two homers and six RBI. Speaking of Anderson, check out this fascinating Q&A he had with BP's David Laurila.

The Red Sox are interested in catcher David Ross, who was released by the Reds on Monday. Ross is 31 and was hitting .231/.381/.366 this season; his on-base percentage is exactly 100 points higher than Kevin Cash's OBP. ... In 90 games in 2006, Ross posted a .932 OPS! Jason Varitek has never had an OPS higher than .863 (back in 2003).

Curt Schilling is leaning heavily towards retirement, but will not make a final decision until next spring. ... Kevin Millar talks to Rob Bradford about Manny Ramirez. ... Maury Wills: Hall of Famer? No.

Two national writers (have seen the light and) believe the Yankees' chances for the post-season are non-existent. And Alex Belth looks at "the remains of the season".

15 comments:

it must be quite an experience for bay to go from pittsburgh to the sox where we are everywhere, in every stadium, all over the cunt-try.

in other news, i was looking at the rotation for the next week, it looks like it will be Dice/HH/Byrd vs MFY.WHAT?will tito let this happen? with the day off right before the series will he skip someone (HH) so it will be Dice/Byrd/Beckett? i know we have an all important series with CHI right after, but i want to put the kill on the MFY.

I've always been under the impression that Mell Ott was intentionally walked with the bases loaded. Apparently I was wrong:

"Mel Ott of the Giants is the biggest problem. He drew five intentional passes in the second game of a meaningless 1929 double-header with the Phillies. Ott and the Phillies' Chuck Klein were tied for the home run title with 42. To prevent Ott from taking the lead, Burt Shotton, the Phillies' manager, told his pitchers not to give him anything to hit.

They followed instructions to the letter. Ott's fifth walk was delivered with the bases drunk with two outs in the ninth, on a 3-2 count. But apparently it was not intentional. If it was, none of the New York or Philadelphia writers mentioned it in their game stories."

FJM said Sojo had four rings. From a 2001 LA Times article: "Sojo got his first one in 1993 while with Toronto, though he did not appear on the World Series roster, and later earned four more playing for the Yankees." From what I can piece together, that article also says Sojo LOST the first ring, leaving it in a rental car, but Gord Ash said he could get a replacement...

i know we have an all important series with CHI right after, but i want to put the kill on the MFY

Totally hear you, nix - as I think I've said before, after a Red Sox win my second favorite baseball 'event' is a Yankee loss. But with the wild card standings being what they are it's more important to put some distance between Boston and Chicago at this point than Boston and the MFY.

Besides, HH and Byrd should be able to take care of the Yanks these days...

That philosophy is a polar opposite as mine would be. I would want to throw the fewest amount of pitches per inning and induce ground balls and pop ups. Work quickly, stay in the strike zone, change speeds... ask Greg Maddux and company!

I think Dice-K and Roy Halladay should get together some day and go bowling. And talk pitching.